Smart Budgeting - Spend a Little, Save a Lot

 Winter is quickly approaching. Before we know it, we’ll be snuggling by a roaring fire drinking a cup of warm cocoa and listening to Neil Diamond. Okay, not Neil Diamond; maybe REM or Shaggy.

Nonetheless, through the sipping and singing, you’ll be discussing all the money you’ve saved by performing a few simple and inexpensive repairs to your home.

$$$ Buy a few tubes of caulking to fill in the cracks around your windows.

$$$ Purchase door kits that will insulate your home from the bitter cold winds of winter.

$$$ If you have outdoor window units, remove them for winter or at least buy thick-gauged plastic covers.

$$$ If you have indoor heating, change your filter often. A seventy-nine cent filter can save you a lot of $$$.

 

$$$ Rugs will keep your home warmer than bare flooring.

$$$ Turn the thermostat on your hot water down, and this also goes for the thermostat in your home. A few degrees can make a big difference in your bill. If you feel a chill in the air, brew some coffee or make cocoa or hot flavored tea. If you’re still cold, then you probably need to turn your thermostat up a few degrees.

$$$ You can save a bundle by drying your laundry during the late evening hours, generally after six p.m. when rates decrease. Contact your local provider for more information pertaining to your area.

$$$ Do a spot check in your attic and consider adding insulation. Your local home improvement store will provide you with some recommendations.

- If your home is equipped with a turbo-vent, cover the vent for winter with a plastic bonnet that can be found at your local home improvement store.

$$$ Turn off all unnecessary lights, computers, televisions, etc.

$$$ Purchase lower-wattage bulbs for lamps. You don’t need a 150-watt bulb when reading a book.

$$$  Train yourself to be aware of precious energy. It may take a little effort to initiate a few of these money-saving suggestions, but if you make it part of your normal routine, it will become second-hand. You may not think that so little could save so much, but it will!

When you receive your first energy bill of the season, find last year’s bill and compare. Scoop your savings and set them aside for a weekend trip – like when the first wildflowers of spring pop out.   

In addition to saving money, you’ll be saving our country’s precious resources for future generations. For more tips, contact your local provider.

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